Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-11-09 City Council Agendas (14) TO: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM: JONATHAN LAIT, DIRECTOR DATE: NOVEMBER 9, 2O20 SUBJECT: At-Places Memorandum – Agenda Item 11. Discussion and Potential Direction on Community and Economic Recovery Strategies Including Uplift Local Holiday Promotions and Business Support Activities and Testing; and A) Expanding the Definition of Retail and Retail-like to Allow More Diverse Retail Activities; B) Temporarily or Permanently Altering Parking Requirements for a Change of Use; C) Temporarily Suspending the Retail Preservation Ordinance in Some Areas of Palo Alto; and D) Continuing Closures of Portions of California and University Avenues to Vehicular Traffic This memorandum provides an update responding to questions submitted by Vice Mayor DuBois for the subject item, as well as an up-to-date summary of feedback received from the Up Lift Local Community Survey concerning the pedestrian only areas/street closures on California Avenue and University Avenue/Downtown (Exhibit 1). Council Information Requested on Community and Economic Recovery Strategies Vice Mayor DuBois requested information to support the Council’s discussion on the community and economic recovery strategies, including: • The definition of retail and retail-like uses; • Regulations on small medical offices; • How many retail businesses have closed due to the current recession; • Current occupancy rate for retail locations in the City; • How the current [retail] occupancy rate compares with past recessions. Exhibit 2 includes municipal code definitions of retail and retail-like uses, as well as other definitions the City Council may find useful for the discussion. While not included in this memorandum, staff will be prepared to address City regulations concerning medical office space. 11 DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 Regarding specific retail closures due to the current recession, the City does not have a complete list and has requested information from brokers and property owners to help round out the picture. Staff has created a list in Exhibit 3 of businesses that appear to be closed based on a visual inspection or through direct conversations. Some storefronts included on this list may predate the pandemic. Staff continues to track this data, add details and verify information. The list is not complete and should not be used solely as a basis for making decisions to advance policy direction. It should further be noted that anecdotally, we understand that very few businesses are currently paying full rent and that closures and evictions have been deferred based on moratoriums during the state of emergency. It should be expected that a significant wave of closures may occur once the state of emergency moratoriums expire. Year to year retail vacancy rates for the combined Downtown, Town and Country, and Stanford Shopping Center areas ticked up one percent to 2.31% since last year. While increasingly storefronts are appearing vacant, the actual vacancy rate may not show up on CoStar data due to the County’s eviction moratorium, which has been extended through November 30, 2020. Some tenants may not have given official notice to property owners and managers about anticipated vacancies and some inventory may not be tracked through CoStar’s database. Below is an excerpt from the CoStar report. In response to the request for current retail occupancy rates compared to the Great Recession, to following graph was generated from CoStar. As noted above, it is difficult to draw any meaningful comparisons given current conditions including commercial eviction moratoriums. DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 Community Feedback: Uplift Local Open Town Hall Online Survey The City utilizes an online community engagement tool called Open Town Hall to gain feedback from the community on community issues. The civic engagement platform invites the community to read what others are saying about Palo Alto topics and post comments. Open Town Hall is hosted by OpenGov, a non-partisan company whose mission is to broaden civic engagement and build public trust in government. This current survey will stay open as the Uplift Local pedestrian only areas continue to offer expanded outdoor dining and other business activities to engage the community about their experience visiting University Avenue and Downtown and California Avenue. The survey was launched on October 13, 2020. The survey results and community comments contained in Exhibit 1 include community comments received through Monday, November 9, 2020. Uplift Local Experience Survey Results Summary • 44 responses received to date since October 13, 2020. • Survey will continue to stay open through the extension of the pedestrian only street program to engage the community on this effort. • The survey is one aspect of the City's engagement efforts. The City has also hosted monthly community check-ins virtually since June 2020. • Generally, most community input on their experience was positive, with most enjoying connecting with the community and feeling safe while dining outdoors on or off University Avenue or on California Avenue. DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 • Several community comments included interest in seeing the pedestrian only areas to continue and there were some comments requesting that the pedestrian only experience continue permanently. • The experience of community members varied based on the businesses they visited. • Some community members mentioned the vacant storefronts in Downtown impacted their experience overall. • Other community ideas included interest in adding music/entertainment, public art or plants to support the Uplift Local program experience. Jonathan Lait, Director Ed Shikada, City Manager DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 Exhibit 1 Uplift Local Community Survey DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 1 | www.opentownhall.com/9819 Created with OpenGov | November 9, 2020, 10:14 AM Uplift Local Community Survey November 9, 2020, 10:14 AM Summary •44 responses received to date. •Survey will continue to stay open through the extension of the pedestrian only street program to engage the community on this effort. •The survey is one aspect of the City's engagement efforts. The City has also hosted monthly community check-ins virtually since June 2020. •Generally, most community input on their experience was positive, with most enjoying connecting with the community and feeling safe while dining outdoors on or off University Avenue or on California Avenue. •Several community comments included interest in seeing the pedestrian only areas to continue and there were some comments requesting that the pedestrian only experience continue permanently. •The experience of community members varied based on the businesses they visited. •Some community members mentioned the vacant storefronts in Downtown impacted their experience overall. •Other community ideas included interest in adding music/entertainment, public art or plants to support the Uplift Local program experience. DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 Survey Questions QUESTION 1 Have you visited Downtown or California Avenue since the start of Uplift Local (formerly known as Summer Streets)? • Yes • No QUESTION 2 If yes, how was your experience? If no, what has kept you from visiting? QUESTION 3 Do you have ideas to enhance this community program? QUESTION 4 Do you have other thoughts to share about Uplift Local? 2 | www.opentownhall.com/9819 Created with OpenGov | November 9, 2020, 10:14 AM Uplift Local Community Survey Share your experience with Uplift Local. DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 Individual Responses Name not shown outside Palo Alto October 15, 2020, 6:03 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 I was disappointed by the lack of uptake compared to Mountain View's program on Castro Street. In particular, Salt and Straw has no seating at all despite being a very popular attraction. CREAM has a couple of tables, but relatively little compared to ice cream places on Castro Street like Gelato Classico or Icicles. Overall, University Ave looks much emptier than Castro Street does although that could be due to a difference in density rather than usage per se. Question 3 provide seating for Salt and Straw Question 4 no Name not available October 16, 2020, 10:40 AM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 I didn't like it. We needed some flexibility for a surprise gathering as we ended up having 7 people and the restaurant management was completely inflexible to any option even standing far away to kick things off. They were obnoxious and completely ruined an experience that was supposed to be fun. We didn't know about the limit of 6 people and it was not handled well. I don't think that I'll ever go back to trying to meet at a restaurant again. Question 3 Permanently, close off University and Cal Ave and make these walking streets. Even though I had a bad restaurant experience, Covid won't (I hope) last forever and it will be so much fun to have these as walking streets. Who needs to drive these few blocks any way? Question 4 I don't really support in-restaurant dining. Eating outdoors seems to be one way to help stay healthy but it is definitely not the same as "before". I am happy that we are closing streets for human interaction and support of these businesses. It should remain this way after the health-need for distancing subsides. It is silly that we have cars driving these streets. Name not available October 16, 2020, 12:56 PM Question 1 • No Question 2 I stay home. Question 3 no Question 4 Why are retail and malls opening without capacity limits? Name not shown in Leland Manor/ Garland October 19, 2020, 4:43 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 I visited both several times. No surprise: the experiences were as varied as the restaurants. Cal Ave is more pleasant because you didn't have all the show-off jerky bicyclists disrupting meals while doing wheelies as they raced toward Stanford. Our meal at Steam downtown was fine, the waiter was nice and helpful but he couldn't make up for the weirdos loitering downtown or the loud bicyclists. St, Michael's Alley is always great but that had nothing to do with your UpLift program which actually hurt them. Cal Ave was much more pleasant and easier to park amd we've been there much more often than Downtown. Downtown was MUCH more 3 | www.opentownhall.com/9819 Created with OpenGov | November 9, 2020, 10:14 AM Uplift Local Community Survey Share your experience with Uplift Local. DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 depressing with all the vacant/ For Lease signs. Question 3 Start supporting retail and restaurants. Stop letting companies have their own cafeterias which destroys restaurants and retailers by keeping the workers inside. STOP asking us to to pay more to make up for the lack of commuters/workers. You've already stuck us with much of the cost of the commuters with NO benefit to the residents. Question 4 Stop trying to turn Palo Alto into an office park. You do realize that forcing paid parking on us discourages us from going downtown and to Cal Ave?? Plus women with any street smarts avoid enclosed parking garages like the plague due to safety reasons. How many DECADES will it take for you to FINALLY put in parking space availability signs in the garages like Mountain View et al has had for YEARS? The retailers/ restaurants need help surviving the rainy season, the fires which make dining out unpleasant and winter. OPEN UP UNIVERSITY to through traffic. It's already causing backups. Name not shown outside Palo Alto October 19, 2020, 5:17 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 The street closures make it so much more enjoyable to visit downtown, walk around and check out the businesses. It is a much more inviting experience. I find that I spend more time downtown now when I visit for an errand. Typically I will stop in for a necessary errand and then leave right away. Now I find myself stopping into other businesses, window shopping and people watching. It is really nice. Plus, I feel much safer as a pedestrian and cyclist now. Cars often drive too fast down these streets and it is too congested to make me feel safe. Removing the street parking provides the area with a more open, safe and inviting feel. Question 3 If there are more benches and seating areas along these streets, people will be inclined to spend more time visiting, dining and shopping. Question 4 Please keep these streets closed! It is obviously better for businesses because people want to spend more time along the main streets and small side streets such as Ramona, thus spending more money on dining and shopping. Name not available October 19, 2020, 7:56 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 Loved it. Reminded me of being in Europe. Like Las Ramblas in Barcelona or the Piazzas in Italy such as Piazza Navona or Piazza della Rotonda in front of the Pantheon. Loved walking down the street without fear of traffic or cars. Should always be this way. We manage to go around the blocked roads. It’s a nice way to spend the day walking up and down visiting stores and eating. Question 3 Yes make it permanent please Question 4 I would be disappointed if it went away Name not shown October 20, 2020, 10:27 AM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 Very nice. We feel safe without cars. Question 3 Extend it to end of 2021 Question 4 This increase the quality of life of our loca citizens. Name not available October 20, 2020, 10:46 AM 4 | www.opentownhall.com/9819 Created with OpenGov | November 9, 2020, 10:14 AM Uplift Local Community Survey Share your experience with Uplift Local. DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 Question 1 • Yes Question 2 Good - happy to see outdoor dining available Question 3 Heaters and canopies in order to extend the program into cooler/wetter weather Question 4 No Name not shown in Crescent Park October 20, 2020, 10:58 AM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 wonderful Question 3 make it permanent Question 4 make it permanent Name not available October 20, 2020, 11:15 AM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 Careless pedestrians, too many people without maskx. Unmasked childen. I dislike the street closings & will not go back to Calif. Ave. Maybe I'll go to shop when the restaurants get the tables out of the street. Question 3 The program lacks safety enforcements. Give citations to the unmasked who wander around near street diners. Question 4 It unfairly "helps" restaurants while making it more difficult for other businesses to operate. Why are restaurants so special? Because they employ undocumented / unskilled labor as kitchen help & janitors? Those people are most likely to share overcrowded housing with other gig workers & be exposed to the virus which they can easily spread to others. They are also the least likely to stay home & isolate if they feel ill because they need money & don't want to lose pay. Andrew Sharpe in Downtown North October 20, 2020, 6:48 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 Excellent. Uplifting, so to speak. Necessary to keep our businesses alive. Question 3 Yes. Make it permanent. The businesses have already invested time and money trying to fit in with the city's guidelines for outdoor eating, and these enhancements are not inexpensive. They will have wasted much time and money if they are told that it's just temporary, which is exactly what we don't want to do to them. The structures could be made much more attractive and add to the ambience of the downtown area if they are allowed to *permanent*. Question 4 Make it permanent. Show our commitment to our businesses. Name not shown in Southgate October 20, 2020, 7:09 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 5 | www.opentownhall.com/9819 Created with OpenGov | November 9, 2020, 10:14 AM Uplift Local Community Survey Share your experience with Uplift Local. DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 Yes - it is great and the city should permanently close parts of University Ave and Cal Ave to traffic - create European pedestrian zones! There is plenty of parking in the surrounding streets to allow this, especially around Cal Ave! Question 3 Yes, see above, make this more permanent and make the area more cosy than an asphalt road with some temporary furniture on it Question 4 Provide ample bike parking to avoid car traffic Name not available October 20, 2020, 7:14 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 Wonderful. Especially with the restrictions, it gave me the feeling of being connected to the community and with businesses I’ve done business with for many years. Question 3 Well, it would be really great to make these street areas permanent pedestrian promenades.And, allow businesses to permanently have areas outside for dining and other services. Bring life into the streets—dining, shopping, entertainment. Question 4 When we're able to congregate it would be great to have singers and musicians in an organized manner so that there is alway some kind of entertainment happening. It would be really great to turn streets into pedestrian ways. Get people out of their cars and onto their feet, of course making it easy access for people with disabilities. Thank you. Ashima Agrawal in Crescent Park October 20, 2020, 7:21 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 It was amazing! The amount of outdoor options was great and because the road was closed, the restaurants are able to spread out and some of them seem to be able to seat more. I felt so safe and would love to see this become a permanent road closer to traffic and make downtown a beautiful promenade. Question 3 As I mentioned above, the road closer should be permanent and the city should invest in beautifying the street to make it just for pedestrians and encourage more outdoor dining, musicians, etc. Question 4 No Name not available October 20, 2020, 8:32 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 My first look at Downtown was that it was not attractive, smelly from gasoline smudges, tables here & there without decoration. Maybe it has changed since the summer. We did enjoy eating at Tamarind and Taverna...both on the sidewalk. California Ave is better--the restaurants have made an effort to make the space pleasing. Overall our experience is more recent in Cal. Ave nearer to where we live. Question 3 Greenery Question 4 It seems to me that having Univ. Ave , an exit off of 101, closed is confusing to people not familiar to the area if they are trying to reach Stanford campus or the medical facilities. I can understand the difficulty restaurants are having during this long shutdown. Name not shown in Community Center October 20, 2020, 8:59 PM Question 1 6 | www.opentownhall.com/9819 Created with OpenGov | November 9, 2020, 10:14 AM Uplift Local Community Survey Share your experience with Uplift Local. DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 • Yes Question 2 Terrific, great fun to engage with fellow residents and support our challenged restaurants and businesses. Question 3 Extend the program to side streets that house so many of our favorite restaurants. It's hard to figure out which streets are shut down, who has outdoor dining and when they're open. There's very little promotion to draw residents and others to our downtowns. A website with menus, photos of each dining area, hours businesses are open etc. would be really helpful. Also, bring in art and music to attract pedestrians. Liven up the streets. Cal Avenue is way ahead of University as far as engagement and a sense of community. University has so many empty pockets as one strolls up and down. Question 4 What a strange name. Doesn't really convey the spirit of the program. It should convey a movement to support our local businesses by re- imagining the downtown pedestrian retail and dining experience. We cannot let small businesses fail. We cannot lose our retail to commercial. Shame on the decision makers if this happens. Burlingame Avenue is an amazing example of a thriving downtown with a healthy mix of retail, dining and smaller services. Take note, we're not far from a failing University Avenue. Sheila Gholson in College Terrace October 20, 2020, 9:13 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 Great, loved socially distanced table for outdoor dining & supporting restaurants! Question 3 No Question 4 No Name not available October 20, 2020, 9:15 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 We live 3 blocks from University Ave on Ramona. We have always enjoyed being close that lively neighborhood and how quickly become a quiet residential area in a few short streets. But when the Covid-19 virus arrived, University Avenue became a ghost town. It was sad to walk the empty streets. Question 3 These major thoroughfares in a city adjoining one of the most beautiful campuses in the world deserves to be filled with markets, musicians, beautiful trees, jugglers - like the great European cities. Question 4 Start with sidewalks free of years of restaurant grease, ice cream droppings. Make the streets pedestrian only, add bike lanes, comfortable seating for people to meet and talk. Name not shown in Evergreen Park October 20, 2020, 9:31 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 Excellent. Question 3 Make it permanent. Question 4 I am so glad this got implemented. Markus Fromherz in Barron Park 7 | www.opentownhall.com/9819 Created with OpenGov | November 9, 2020, 10:14 AM Uplift Local Community Survey Share your experience with Uplift Local. DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 October 20, 2020, 10:12 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 Great dinner at a restaurant on Cal Ave. Fun stroll on University Ave with visit to a store and coffee at a cafe. Question 3 Offer additional entertainment, like love music. Make the pedestrian zone a destination. Question 4 No. Name not shown in Duveneck/ St Francis October 20, 2020, 11:28 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 My daughter and I dined on University Ave. (Crepevine) and found the experience delightful. There was parking within half a block, and we had no need to queue for the restaurant. Dining outside gave us the opportunity to people-watch, and there were plenty of pedestrians, all wearing masks. I felt perfectly safe the whole time. My daughter pointed out that the Crepevine employees were sanitizing tables as diners left. Question 3 No, but I intend to dine out more. Question 4 Just a great idea, and I've had the same dining experience in Connecticut when we took our 20-state roadtrip last July. Name not available October 21, 2020, 8:10 AM Question 1 • No Question 2 Financial Question 3 No Question 4 No Name not available October 21, 2020, 9:01 AM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 I enjoyed being out for dinner once on Cal Ave, and I've liked that Cal Ave was kept open for cyclists Question 3 Strings of lights overhead Question 4 n/a KAREN DAMIAN in College Terrace October 21, 2020, 9:35 AM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 A friend and i had lunch at Terun one afternoon recently. We enjoyed the experience, not to mention the food and good service. Dining outdoors is most pleasant there. Question 3 8 | www.opentownhall.com/9819 Created with OpenGov | November 9, 2020, 10:14 AM Uplift Local Community Survey Share your experience with Uplift Local. DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 Just to keep up the Uplift program with the street closures on California Avenue and Downtown. Question 4 Our local merchants need all the help they can get. Let's keep the Uplift program going. Also it adds a lovely European feel to California Avenue. Name not available October 21, 2020, 9:52 AM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 It's been great. I'm very happy to be able to eat at a restaurant outdoors. It's enabled me to keep up an informal "tradition" of weekly brunch out with my adult daughter. Question 3 Use of the outdoor space is somewhat spotty. Some establishments make heavy use of the space in front of their building, but others aren't using it at all. I would think it would be ok to let one place (e.g., restaurant) "poach" it's neighbor's street space, if the neighbor isn't using it, is ok with the expansion, and is able to reclaim the space at any time. There would still need to be guidelines for pedestrians to get around diners without getting too close to them. Question 4 Winter is coming. Anything Uplift can do to help the businesses continue outdoors during the chilly and rainy weather could be helpful. Can you help restaurants find outdoor heaters, if they need them? Awnings? Guidelines about using tenting without turning the space into "indoors," such as fraction of the sides that can be enclosed, or whatever? David Epstein in University South October 21, 2020, 11:11 AM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 It is fantastic! There is a real community feeling walking through the diners and walkers and people are relaxed and happy in a time when there is not much to be happy about! Question 3 Please bring in plants, music and art and maybe street venders (at distances, of course). Question 4 We love this! Please make this permanent! Please also make Lytton and Hamilton one-way with coordinated lights at 25mph. As businesses return, it will make traffic flow better and be safer for the pedestrians. Those two (and other one ways that cross University) can be made to accommodate angled parking to increase parking for customers and walkers close to where they want to go, and will get ahead of the return to normal life after COVID. Name not shown in Professorville October 21, 2020, 1:27 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 I love that the streets are open for activities for PEOPLE not cars. We already have so many streets given to cars, it's great to be able to support our local businesses in a healthy and fun way. I've been downtown numerous times because I love too stroll, people watch, grab something to eat and do my errands without fighting traffic. Let's do this right like MV has done - they're thriving and we're only making a half-hearted effort at making the downtown people friendly. Question 3 Make it permanent! Close off the streets with nice barriers and allow the restaurants and businesses to flourish on the sidewalks and street. Question 4 Encourage the retailers to spill out into the streets with signage, events etc. I'd like to see the open streets return to Emerson too - it feels like the City keeps shrinking the footprint and it needs critical mass. Name not available October 21, 2020, 2:01 PM 9 | www.opentownhall.com/9819 Created with OpenGov | November 9, 2020, 10:14 AM Uplift Local Community Survey Share your experience with Uplift Local. DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 Question 1 • Yes Question 2 We went out to eat in the Cal Ave avenue twice and stayed there for a lovely outdoor meal. We've also done food pick up on Cal Ave several times. Question 3 We were there for dinner on Cal Ave once on a Saturday night and at the end of the meal it was near their closing time and the staff from the restaurant were piling up the chairs and tables to clear the street. They said this was to accommodate the Sunday morning Farmers' Market that would appear the next day. This seemed like a lot of extra work -- and it meant of course, that the area appeared rather "bare bones" in terms of lighting, plants, etc. But it was OK, since it's important to accommodate the Farmers' Market, too. Question 4 It's a GREAT idea -- and one that I hope will continue! It's delightful to eat outdoors, and we have done so also once in downtown Burlingame to visit with my son and also once in downtown Mountain View. The Mtn View evening was really delightful, since the whole Castro Street area was closed down fro several blocks, with lights strung across the street, bollards and planter boxes to protect dining tables from any wayward cars traveling though the cross-streets, etc. It was a very festive atmosphere. Name not available October 22, 2020, 8:21 AM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 i love eating out doors Question 3 make it year round Question 4 Live music would be a great addition Name not shown in College Terrace October 22, 2020, 12:08 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 It is wonderful to be able to stroll down the portions of California Avenue or University Avenue (+ specific side streets) without having to worry about the violations of the 6 foot rule or drivers endangering our safety. For the restaurants, being able to use both the sidewalk space and the parklet space is essential to their survival. For diners and happy hour patrons, having the option to eat and/or drink safely is obviously a big plus. For the pedestrians, the extra space allows social distancing (rather than having to deal with two way pedestrian access on narrow sidewalk space). For those of us in high risk groups, picking up meals from Uplift Local restaurants to take home truly makes it possible to patronize local restaurants -- we will not be able to risk sit down dinners even outside for a while. Question 3 Strongly urge that Uplift Local _explicitly_ encourage bicycling to these two lovely experimental spaces by designating a middle two way path in the center of the street for bicyclists to ride through slowly AND highlighting bike parking areas. Otherwise, for most people this is a "drive and walk in from your car" mode, which is not very green! The Sunday Farmers' Market at Cal Ave has done the center path which helps make it safer for everyone, but they too don't promote the bike parking locations to help newbies at all. It's worse for Uplift Local, which seems to be permitting some Cal Ave restaurants to expand their dining areas all the way to the street's center line. This program is an excellent opportunity to encourage residents to try 1-3 mile short trips to local destinations by bike, connecting the dots on leaving their cars at home -- but being faced with La Bodequita's wall as one walks or bikes across El Camino (just the most egregious example, there are more cases) is pretty unfriendly. If Palo Alto is committed to being a Bike Friendly City, or wishes to achieve the 80% reduction in GHG by 2030, making this initiative both bike and pedestrian friendly is a no brainer! Start by guidance about bikes yielding to pedestrians, plus visible A-frame signage on the street and maps online pointing to bike parking. Also, showing the bike and ped access points that aren't the usual way you would approach in a car on maps and on street is a basic starting point. Question 4 1. As weather cools, don't forget to promote days, times with easily accessible info on where to park bikes and motor vehicles when streets are closed off. Makes a difference! 10 | www.opentownhall.com/9819 Created with OpenGov | November 9, 2020, 10:14 AM Uplift Local Community Survey Share your experience with Uplift Local. DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 2. Make it clear who makes decisions about the program -- and be sure that City efforts support our Comp Plan goals. Yes, keeping local businesses going is important. But it's not just restaurants! Is the City working with the locally owned small retail shops to help them in these challenging times? Seems like the Chamber of Commerce only represents larger office uses, the bigger restaurant owners, and property managers point of view. 3. Is the City moving forward on trip reduction efforts for lower wage service workers in both areas? Name not shown in Downtown North October 22, 2020, 3:42 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 Very pleasant since University Ave has been pedestrian and restaurants have been outdoors. I'm used to Europe cafe culture and with the climate being so mild here, it is nice to be able to stroll down the street and sit outside for coffee or a meal. Question 3 keep main street walkable and restaurants outdoors permanently Question 4 no Name not shown in Southgate October 23, 2020, 12:50 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 It was absolutely fantastic! Great for businesses and people alike, creating a sense of community and new (but actually old-fashioned) ways to connect, which is extremely important in the current circumstances. I love going out with my family and not worry about cars, a more open care- free society what we like so much in European cities. I love being able to eat outside and stroll the streets! Question 3 Keep it up, and make the streets even more inviting, put cobblestones on University and California Ave! Question 4 I hope people see the real benefits of a car-free society! Cleaner, safer, more friendly! Name not shown in Evergreen Park October 24, 2020, 6:32 AM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 Good and Enjoy, We live real close and visit frequently Question 3 Yes close the street and place Trees and Planters in area to enhance and thus expanding the outdoor seating capacity for the local eateries. Close the street on Cal Aver one more block to Birch so that places on Birch can also have the advantage. Cars can still get through the area using Park and Cambridge and eventually Sherman. Make the entire area Smoke and Animal Free. If I wanted to eat with animals I would go to the pound. Question 4 Good idea to have forum for input to our city. Name not available October 27, 2020, 11:54 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 Not very good. The street is way too crowded -- it is impossible for pedestrians and diners to stay 6 feet away from each other. The City has refused to require bicyclists to walk their bikes through the crowd, thus creating another kind of threat. I used to go there to shop at local places, but I avoid it now. Driving around it -- with all of the closed off portions due to various construction projects on the south side of Cal Ave -- just makes it a nightmare. 11 | www.opentownhall.com/9819 Created with OpenGov | November 9, 2020, 10:14 AM Uplift Local Community Survey Share your experience with Uplift Local. DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 Question 3 I am wondering if this is going to be a freebie given to property owners, who will then just hike the rents to tenants because of the extra property annexed. This won't help the restaurant or retail store owners. Question 4 It would be nice if the City balanced the needs of the surrounding community with respect to traffic with the needs of businesses. So far, only business needs appear to have been addressed. No outreach to the residential community -- even though residents vote. Name not available October 28, 2020, 6:18 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 No problem Question 3 It is great for restaurants but not for other businesses Question 4 It should be kept in mind that a real business area is more than just restaurants. Name not available October 28, 2020, 10:44 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 Dined. Was fine. A bit cold Question 3 Keep going Question 4 Good idea Name not available October 30, 2020, 2:44 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 It is lovely to walk on University Avenue without the noise and pollution from the cars. Question 3 Yes, please extended to 2021. Question 4 Once the COVID numbers lower substantially, we should consider inviting retailers to set shop on the streets. Name not available November 5, 2020, 5:18 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 Love it!!! It’s so much more fun to hang out and walk around. We go there a lot more now. Question 3 Keep the streets closed, please!!!!! Question 4 Great program. Name not available November 5, 2020, 5:40 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 12 | www.opentownhall.com/9819 Created with OpenGov | November 9, 2020, 10:14 AM Uplift Local Community Survey Share your experience with Uplift Local. DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 Wonderful. I now make it a weekly event to go get breakfast at Joanie's on Cal Ave. We have been out to dinner and lunch several times on University Ave. I find the Emerson closing a bit difficult to navigate - it seems a bit crowded. Question 3 Highlight the restaurants that are open more! Question 4 Great program. Name not available November 5, 2020, 5:44 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 It was great! Question 3 Keep it going forever! Question 4 I love having the pedestrian-only spaces on California Ave and University Ave and would be thrilled to see them stay that way long-term. Name not available November 5, 2020, 7:21 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 It was delightful! I loved the atmosphere of outside-in the street dining and was happy to see it well attended. Question 3 Provide heaters for colder weather Question 4 Maybe you could ask restaurants to provide locals with discount codes or a “locals” menu to continue to draw a crowd as winter approaches. Name not available November 5, 2020, 8:06 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 Great! Would be good to have bike paths marked on the streets and the barriers at intersections set to accommodate bicyclists. Question 3 Would like to see retail stores use the street space. Question 4 Make it permanent. Name not shown in Midtown/ Midtown West November 6, 2020, 5:17 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 My experience both downtown and on California Ave has been nothing short of incredible. The outdoor dining experience reminds me of towns in Europe, and I hope this can become permanent, even when COVID is no longer a concern. Question 3 Ideally for me, California Ave and University Ave will stay closed to cars permanently, and the street will be retrofitted to be more friendly to pedestrians. More permanent and aesthetically pleasing barricades on cross streets, eventually maybe redo the street with brick or cobblestone. More greenery on California Ave. Question 4 It is a great program and I hope to see it continue. 13 | www.opentownhall.com/9819 Created with OpenGov | November 9, 2020, 10:14 AM Uplift Local Community Survey Share your experience with Uplift Local. DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 Name not available November 6, 2020, 10:24 PM Question 1 • Yes Question 2 Very good! I hope you'll continue it. It's a great way to support local businesses and restaurants. Question 3 Add some more decorative lights to the portions of University and Cal. Aves. that don't have much - it's much more festive and inviting. Question 4 Please DO NOT allow ground-floor retail space to be turned into office space, even "temporarily"!! Palo Alto has too much office space already because so many people are working at home and are likely to stay there even after a COVID vaccine comes out. The city will not gain by further chasing out the retail businesses that make Palo Alto a nice place to live. Don't turn our downtowns into sterile office parks. Retail will rebound once people can get out again - if landlords and developers don't overcharge. 14 | www.opentownhall.com/9819 Created with OpenGov | November 9, 2020, 10:14 AM Uplift Local Community Survey Share your experience with Uplift Local. DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 Exhibit 2 Excerpts from PAMC 18.04.030 (47) “Eating and drinking service” means a use providing preparation and retail sale of food and beverages, including restaurants, fountains, cafes, coffee shops, sandwich shops, ice cream parlors, taverns, cocktail lounges and similar uses. A minimum of 50% of revenues from an “eating and drinking service” must be derived from the sale of food. Related definitions are provided in subsections (45) and (136). (56) “Financial service” means a use providing financial services to individuals, firms, or other entities. The term “financial service” includes banks, savings and loan institutions, loan and lending institutions, credit unions and similar services. (57.6) “Formula retail business” means a retail, personal, or eating and drinking service that is one of ten (10) or more business locations in the United States required by contractual or other arrangement to maintain any of the following standardized characteristics: merchandise, menu, services, decor, uniforms, architecture, facade, color scheme, signs, trademark, or servicemark. For purposes of this definition: (A) “Standardized merchandise, menu and/or services” means 50% or more of in- stock merchandise from a single distributor bearing the same or similar markings; 50% or more of menu items identical in name and presentation with other locations; or 50% or more of services offered identical in name or presentation with other locations. (B) “Decor” means the style of interior furnishings, which may include but is not limited to, style of furniture, wall coverings or permanent fixtures. (C) “Color Scheme” means the selection of colors used throughout, such as on the furnishings, permanent fixtures, and wall coverings, or as used on the facade. (D) “Uniforms” means standardized items of clothing including but not limited to standardized aprons, pants, shirts, smocks or dresses, hats, and pins (other than name tags) as well as standardized colors of clothing. (E) “Facade” means the face or front of a building, including awnings, looking onto a street or an open space. (F) “Trademark” means a word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination of words, phrases, symbols or designs that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods from one party from those of others. (G) “Servicemark” means a word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination of words, phrases, symbols or designs that identifies and distinguishes the source of a service from one party from those of others. (61) “General business office” means a use principally providing services to individuals, firms, or other entities, including but not limited to real estate, insurance, property management, title companies, investment, personnel, travel, and similar services. DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 (63) “General business service” means a use engaged in sales, servicing, installation, and repair services, generally intended to support other businesses, rather than individual consumers. General business services typically include, but are not limited to, volume printing and photography services, blueprinting and publishing, commercial bakeries, dry cleaners that accept laundry from other businesses and are classified as Class IV plants in Title 15 of the Municipal Code, creameries or catering, cabinetry and furniture repair, lumber, plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning, and other construction and building materials, and commercial automobile and truck parts and supplies. (114) “Personal service” means a use providing services of a personal convenience nature, and cleaning, repair or sales incidental thereto, including: (A) Beauty shops, nail salons, day spas, and barbershops; (B) Self-service laundry and cleaning services; laundry and cleaning pick-up stations where all cleaning or servicing for the particular station is done elsewhere; and laundry and cleaning stations where the cleaning or servicing for the particular station is done on site, utilizing equipment meeting any applicable Bay Area Air Quality Management District requirements, so long as no cleaning for any other station is done on the same site, provided that the amount of hazardous materials stored does not at any time exceed the threshold which would require a permit under Title 17 (Hazardous Materials Storage) of this code; (C) Repair and fitting of clothes, shoes, and personal accessories; (D) Quick printing and copying services where printing or copying for the particular service is done on site, so long as no quick printing or copying for any off-site printing or copying service is done on the same site; (E) Internet and other consumer electronics services; (F) Film, data and video processing shops, including shops where processing for the particular shop is done on site, so long as no processing for any other shop is done on the same site; (G) Art, dance or music studios intended for an individual or small group of persons in a class (see “commercial recreation” for other activities); and (H) Fitness and exercise studios, or similar uses, of 1,800 square feet or fewer (see “commercial recreation” for other activities). (125) “Retail service” means a use open to the public during typical business hours and predominantly engaged in providing retail sale, rental, service, processing, or repair of items primarily intended for consumer or household use. (A) “Extensive retail service,” as used with respect to parking requirements, means a retail sales use having more than seventy-five percent of the gross floor area used for display, sales, and related storage of bulky commodities, including household furniture and appliances, lumber and building materials, carpeting and floor covering, air conditioning and heating equipment, and similar goods, which uses have demonstrably low parking demand generation per square foot of gross floor area. (B) “Intensive retail service” as used with respect to parking requirements, means any retail service use not defined as extensive retail service. DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 (125.1) “Retail-like use” means a use generally open to the public during typical business hours and predominantly engaged in providing services closely related to retail services, including but not limited to: (A) Eating and drinking services, as defined in subsection (47); (B) Hotels, as defined in subsection (73); (C) Personal services, as defined in subsection (114); (D) Theaters; (E) Travel agencies; (F) Commercial recreation, as defined in subsection (33); (G) Commercial nurseries; (H) Auto dealerships, as defined in subsection (12.5); and (I) Day care centers, as defined in subsection (42). (136) “Take-out service” means a characteristic of an eating or drinking service which encourages, on a regular basis, consumption of food or beverages, such as prepared or prepackaged items, outside of a building, in outdoor seating areas where regular table service is not provided, in vehicles parked on the premises, or off-site. DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 Exhibit 3 List of Vacant Storefronts (DRAFT) Vacant Address Tenant Description 518-526 Bryant Street 575 sq ft retail 2221-2225 El Camino Real Bank of the Orient/ELB/Clear Financial Services/Retail/Office 777 High Street Mesmer Eyes Inc. Medical 217 Alma Street Community Pharmacy Medical 250 University Avenue Office/Retail 299 California Avenue 2nd/3rd floor office space (above Calave) Office/Retail 301 High Street Office/Retail 540-542 Emerson Street Kim's Nails & Mulu Inc. Retail 460-476 University Avenue Michael Lucich Spa Retail 261-267 University Avenue Forever Flawless Retail 444 University Avenue Chantal Guillon Retail 335 University Avenue La Strada Retail 339 University Avenue Joya Retail 640 Emerson Avenue Dan Gordons Retail 529 Alma Pampas Retail 140 University Tam Tam Retail 233-235 University Avenue Mills Florist Retail 540 University Avenue Gleim Jewelers Retail 440-444 Kipling Like! Hair Salon & Sculptworks Retail 819 Ramona Street Uforia Studios Retail 381-395 California Avenue Hotel California, AJ Cleaners, et al Retail 151 University Avenue Lemonade Retail 451 University Avenue Shoe Palace Retail 2305-B El Camnio Real Poki Bowl Retail 270 University Avenue Jos. A Banks Retail 2675 El Camino Real Chipotle Retail 500-508 University Avenue Joe & The Juice Retail 475 University Avenue Blu Clothing Retail 220 Hamilton Avenue McRoskey Mattress Retail 526 Waverley Avenue Palo Alto Toy Store Retail 383 University Avenue Paris Baguette Retail DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299 425-429 California Avenue Zombie Runner (relocated to 344 Cal Ave) Retail 261-267 Hamilton Avenue Shinola Retail 476, 482, 484, 490, 494, 498 University Avenue Ground Floor of President Hotel Retail 263 University Avenue Round Table Pizza Retail 300 Universtiy Avenue Walgreens Retail 482 University Avenue Plutos Retail 498 University Avenue Gyros Gyros (relocated to452 University) Retail 532 Ramona Street Kitch'n Offcie Retail 321 California Avenue Antonio's Nut House Retail 381-391 California Avenue Palo Alto Baking Retail 395 California Avenue California Cleaners/AJ Cleaners Retail 444 University Avenue Chantal Guillon Retail 436 University Avenue Peet's Coffee Retail 2100 El Camino Real-College Terrace Center Vacant Grocery Retail 375-379 University Avenue Retail 261 S. California Avenue Retail 532-536 Ramona Street KitchN Office Retail 278 University Avenue B8ta (relocated to 375 University Ave) Retail 170 University Avenue Ambient AI Retail/Storefront Retail DocuSign Envelope ID: C5E8122B-AB8C-4B0A-A277-F082FB53F299